Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter
National Football Foundation
19 Named to the Grinold Chapter 2026 Scholar-Athlete Class
Nineteen high school senior football players representing 11 different high schools have been selected to the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter 2026 Scholar-Athtete class.
The awards are given to those graduating seniors in the Chapter footprint who have achieved excellence on the gridiron, in the classroom, and in the community.
"We are extremely proud and excited to honor this very talented group of amazing young men," Chapter Executive Director Jim Seavey said. "Their accomplishments on the field speak for themselves. It is what they do in their free time to enhance their schools and their communities, normally wIthout any fanfare, is what truly sets them apart."
The awardees will be attending 17 different colleges in Divisions I, II, and III, including Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Ivy League, Coastal Athletic Association, Northeast 10, Conference of New England, Liberty League, and New England Small College Athletic Conference institutions.
The Chapter has honored the schaolar-athletes since 1976. Over that time 1,046 young men have received the honor.
The complete list of honorees is available here.
Harvard’s Benson, Endicott’s Ferreira Named 2026 Week 4 Recipients of NEFW/Grinold Chapter Gold Helmet Awards
Harvard University junior defensive back Xaden Benson, and Endicott College sophomore running back Bryan Ferreira are this week’s recipients of the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet Awards presented by the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation.
Benson, a native of Atlanta, Ga. and a graduate of North Atlanta High School, was responsible for four turnovers in the Crimson’s 14-10 win at Brown. Benson had three interceptions to halt Brown drives and recovered a muffed punt to go along with four tackles in the Ivy opener for both teams. Benson’s third pick stopped the final Brown drive and allowed Harvard to run out the clock.
Ferreira, from Woburn, Mass., and a graduate of Bridgeton Academy, ran for 217 yards on just 17 carries (12.8 yards per carry) leading the Gulls to a 35-6 victory over Husson University. Ferreira sprinted to a pair of 54-yard TDs in the first and third quarters, respectively, before finding paydirt again in the third quarter with a three-yard plunge. The three touchdowns are his career single-game high.
For the twelfth straight year, the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation is the presenting sponsor for both the weekly and end-of-year Gold Helmet Awards presented to student-athletes from FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III institutions throughout New England. The awards will be presented at the NEFW Captains and Awards Banquet on December 10 at the Renaissance Framingham Hotel & Conference Center.
For more information on the Gold Helmet Awards and the New England Football Writers Association, please visit www.newenglandfootballwriters.com
2026 NEW ENGLAND FOOTBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION
WEEKLY GRINOLD CHAPTER GOLD HELMET AWARD RECIPIENTS
Division I (FBS/FCS) Division II/III
September 6 William “Pop” Watson, III, UMass Mathias Fowler, Framingham
September 13 Joquez Smith, New Hampshire Shea Lynch, Endicott
September 20 Dante Reno, Yale Christian Shapiro, Tufts
September 27 Xander Benson, Harvard Bryan Ferreira, Endicott
Milton Academy's Giovanni named to NFF Team of Distinction
2026 Milton Academy graduate Joe Giovanni has been named to the National Football Foundation 2026 Team of Distinction honoring the nation's top high school scholar-athletes who represent the future leaders of the game and have excelled at the very highest levels in the classroom, on the field and by making an impact in their communities. Giovanni is one of 63 honorees from a nationwide pool of over 3,500 high school football scholar-athletes as selected by the regional chapters of the NFF.
A four-year starter at wide receiver and defensive back for the Mustangs, Giovanni was a two-time Independent School League All-Star selection. Over the course of his junior and senior seasons, Giovanni snared 10 interceptions. A standout of special teams, Giovanni was Milton Academy's primary return specialist on both punts and kickoffs and had five returns for touchdowns over the past two years. In addition to football, Giovanni also competed tot he Mustangs' basketball and track teams.
Giovanni will attend Harvard University in the fall and has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Crimson.